40C - 49C forecast for Europe next week - that is ridiculously hot

[cakeorwine]

‘I’ve never seen heat this bad. It’s not normal’: Italy struggles as temperature tops 40C | Italy | The Guardian

It's scary to think of these temperatures - not at all good for the human body.

I hope people who are going abroad over summer are prepared - or at least aware of how to stay safe in such heat.

And yet still the helmets deny human induced climate change.

Jeez. Is the UK getting this weather at some point? I barely coped with the last heatwave!

Dd is off to Italy for 3 weeks on Monday. How can you prepare for that sort of heat? I’ve bought her some factor 50. 🤷‍♀️

Water
And staying out of the heat.

Every time you think about booking booking a holiday to Dubai think about the migrant workforce outside in that same heat.

Anyway. Yes it’s hot.
Climate change or not there’s a million threads on here where people wash sheets every few days because “ it feels nice”, Style and Beauty is just endless buying of new stuff, people are driving their kids to classes everywhere then sending them to far flung Uni’s., buying food imported from across the world.. Good luck with us changing anything. Clearly no one wants to live like peasants.

I went to Cyprus once when it was 45'C or at least the tail end of a heatwave back in 2003. The night-time temp was 30'C. It was really not nice waking up covered in sweat.

Looks like the rain is all getting dumped on us instead.

Paphos is forecast for 35 C next week.
Bodrum is 40C
Rome is 40C
Athens is 41 C

Used to live in inland Spain, 40 plus temperatures were a regular occurrence in summer. As we weren't on holiday we would stay inside or visit the air-conditioned supermarket! Kept the doors, windows and blinds shut in the day. At night we'd swim.
On holiday stay hydrated, don't drink alcohol, wear a hat, thin loose cotton clothes and factor 50 if you go out. Go out really early and again late on. We always found 2-3pm was actually the hottest part of the day.

I live in southern Spain, where we regularly get 40+ in the summer. Usually it's a week or so and then drops back to 38 ish. Last year was terrible because it was 43+ for 20 consecutive days.
You can't do anything. You stay indoors all day with all the windows and blinds shut. The worst thing is night time. You cant sleep without aircon because it's still 30 degrees at like 3am

On holiday stay hydrated, don't drink alcohol, wear a hat, thin loose cotton clothes and factor 50 if you go out. Go out really early and again late on. We always found 2-3pm was actually the hottest part of the day

So glad not going on holiday where it's going to be this warm

OrangeBlossomin the sun we lived there for 8 years without aircon. Looking back I have no idea how we managed!

Just come back from Malta- was 39 degrees in Valletta for last few days- suprisingly though it dropped quite quickly by 5.00 pm every day to around 28 or so- hotel was very airconned though so couldn't say what it was in the night

Any sympathy for the people that live there?

And what are conditions like for the population of North Africa now?

Absolutely.

I can't imagine what it must be like living there.

61,000 people died in the European Heatwaves last year - and that's probably only the tip of the iceberg

I live in the "middle" of Germany and have photos from my boiler, which is connected to an outside temperature censor, of 43°c and 47°c from a couple of years ago.
40°c is not unknown in the past 20 odd years.
Yes, it is hot, but as long as there is minimal humidity, there is no great impact. You just get things done early.

I did use to live in a hot climate when young.
School ended about 12.30pm
We went to the hills to escape the summer heat.

I used to consider retiring abroad. I don't think I could now.

We got an aircon unit in one of the bedrooms this year after the terrible Temps last year. It's in a room big enough for us all to sleep in if necessary. Until then we didn't have any aircon.

That's the nub of the issue though.
Humidity versus temp.
40°C with 10% humidity is easy.
40°C with 50% humidity ?
50°C and 50% humidity?
There is a rapidly increasing amount of moisture in the atmosphere. Antarctica has melted much faster than expected, and glaciers around the world, the Artic, Greenland.
Hot, dry atmosphere is okay for humans as we cool by perspiration. Once you introduce humidity it becomes much more problematic.
Once it's too hot and humid your organs literally broil inside you. That's what death by heat is.

I wouldn't even consider going on a summer holiday anywhere warmer than us these days. Easter or October half term might be nice. If I could speak the languages I would probably want to move to Iceland or Finland though! Of course it is cold and windy here today, so I have been complaining about that too.

My (generally clueless) boss insisted on flinging the blinds in our workspace wide open during the day in our little heatwave recently, expressing wonderment that I kept them closed. The space was roasting beyond belief by 11am. They're currently on holiday in one of the seriously hot countries mentioned. I just hope they'll come back with a reactivated brain cell and understand why I kept the blinds shut. I'm not holding my breath though.

We will probably all have to start living like the Middle East and most of the global south and get things done early in the morning, stay out of the sun in the middle of the day, wear longer looser clothing, cover up with sunscreen, long sleeves, hats and sunglasses, and socialise in the evenings.

And yes, I am sad and furious for the way migrant workers doing the dirty work in those countries are treated and made to work outside in the Middle East and have appalling living conditions. The human race in general has long since ceased to be humane, at least most of the wealthy...

Oh sure, I thought you meant some sort of pre holiday preparation. 🙈😆

The Italian government is advising people to stay indoors during the day. Be in by 11 at the latest and stay inside until evening

I dont think you can stay safe really can you?

Apart from sitting inside in front of air con (and I know Spain keeps warning residents not to run it too cool for energy conservation purposes) what options are there, a hat and a bottle of water doesnt cut it in temps like that, its dangerous

Yep. The planet is fucked.